Describing my dad’s garden in Brussel Sprouts That Don’t Taste Like a Cave must have got me in the mood for my garden, because last night, after the kids were in bed and the dinner dishes done, I couldn’t wait to start my seeds for this year’s garden.

Armed with a pair of tweezers and a glass of wine (oh doesn’t that sound like a good combination, ha!), I delicately tucked two seeds into each little rehydrated peat pellet. I raised only heirloom tomatoes last year, and didn’t have the best of luck with them. It may have had something to do with the fact that I was deployed over a large part of the tomato season, leaving my husband and kids to care for my plants, or it could have been that they were just crappy plants.  I blame my husband and kids <glaring>. Regardless, I plan on doing some MAJOR tomato canning this year, so I need some plants that can PRODUCE. I added a little more variety (a.k.a., hybrids) to my arsenal this year, and am hoping I have good results with the change up.

My dad and I used to have contests each year to see who could grow the biggest tomato. My largest was two pounds, no joke! It was from a Ripley’s Believe it or Not beefsteak tomato plant that I had started from seed. I have searched high and low, but to no avail, I can’t find those dang Ripley’s seeds anywhere!! I found Steak Sandwich, Supersteak, and Super Beefsteak, and figured I would try all three and see if I can grow a new favorite. My cherry tomato plants did very well last year; we had loads of the bite-sized tomatoes. My three year-old can put away some cherry tomatoes, but I still got to the point at the end of the season, where I began picking the green ones and pickling them because we had so many. I stuck with the Super Sweet 100 cherry tomato plant because we had such great luck. I planted two types of heirloom tomato plants, the Black Krim and Mortgage Lifter.   I had okay luck with them last year, and figured I would give them a whirl again. The dark color of the krims is really freaky and the mortgage lifter’s plants seemed to withstand the elements pretty well.

And of course, what is the saying? When life hands you tomatoes…. make salsa! My garden wouldn’t be complete without Jalapeno and Green Pepper plants. I’ve got twelve of each started.  To be continued……….